Wrench.



PATENTED APR. 14, 1908- W. SGHMITT WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILE-D AUG. 6, 1907.

w m n WILLIAM SOHMITT, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Application filed August 6, 1907.? Serial No. 387,337.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SOHMITT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, Maryland, have invented certain Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in wrenches, and relates more especially to the class of pipe and nut wrenches of the type which is commonly known as sliding-j aw and in which the movable jaw is adjustable by means of a screw.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a wrench of this articular type with means for facilitating t 1e operation of the wrench, whereby after the sliding-j aw has been approximately adjusted by turning the screw and the wrench placed in engagement with the pipe or nut, the said sliding-j aw may be quickly and conveniently operated to more firmly clamp the pipe or nut between the jaws of the wrench.

A further object of the invention is to provide sim Is and effective means for holding the jaws in close locked engagement with the pipe or nut for convenience in operating the wrench to turn the pipe or nut.

Other though minor objects of the invention will hereinafter a pear, and what I claim as my invention and esire to rotect by Letters-Patent is more specifica y set forth inthe appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification: Figure 1 is a side elevation, showing a wrench constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Referring to said drawings, 1 designates the main bar or shank of the wrench, which, as is usual, is provided at its upper end with a fixed jaw 2, and at its lower end is formed with a handle or hand-graspihg ortion 3. Upon this shank slides the usua movable jaw 4, provided with a vertical threaded recess 5 to receive the adjusting-screw 6. In the present instance I have shown jaws at opposite sides of the shank or bar 1, the plain jaws 7 at one side being designed to engage a nut, while the jaws 8 at the other side are for engagement with a pipe, and said latter jaws are therefore rovided with oppositely disposed teeth wliich bite into the pipe. The pipe engaging jaws are preferably provided which may be milled and provided with pinholes, as is usual. In the present instance this head is hollow and is provided at its underside with a hole 12, the purpose of which latter will be hereinafter explained.

Plvoted to the shank or main bar 1 of the wrench by means of a in 14 is a lever 15, the upper portion of whic is bifurcated so as to embrace said shank or bar, and the companion members, which lie at opposite sides of the shank or bar, are widened so that each may be formed with a pair of jaws 16 and 17, adapted to receive and bear upon the upper and lower ends of the head 11 of the adjusting screw, the lower jaws, 17, being connected by a cross-piece 18 formed integrally therewith. The lower part of the lever 15 is formed into a handle 19, similar to the handle 3, and extends normally at a slight angle to the latter, having a movement towards the same which, as will be seen, pushes upward upon the adjusting screw and consequently moves the sliding-j aw of the wrench towards the fixed jaw thereof, and this operation is of course in addition to the usual adjustment by means of the adjust ing-screw.

In order to hold the head of the adjustingscrew between the jaws 16 and 17 of the pivoted lever 15 a set-screw 20 is threaded through the cross-piece 18, and the reduced upper end of said screw plays loosely in the opening 12 of said head. For the urposeof automatically moving the pivoted lever outward or away from the handle of the wrench, and thus open the jaws to receive the pipe or nut, a flat spring 21 issecured between the members of said pivoted lever and so that its free end bears upon a rounded portion, as 22, on the main bar or shank 1.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, it

sired jaws of the wrench are then placed over the object to be operated upon, and that the said jaws may be then further clamped upon the object by grasping the handle 19 of the pivoted lever and ressing the same towards the handle 3, whic operation will ress u ward upon the adjusting-screw anfforcibly clamp the movable jaw against the object, the latter being then firmly held or clamped between the fixed and movable jaws of the Wrench. This provides therefore that the jaws of the wrench may be manipulated more quickly and effectively than by adj usting the screw after the wrench is placed in engagement with the object; and of course the greater the ressure applied to the lever 15 the tighter t 1e object W1 1 be clamped between the jaws. It is obvious, therefore, that the application of the pivoted lever to the adjusting-screw of the wrench will greatly facilitate the manipulation of the wrench in operating upon a pipe, nut, or other object for which a wrench of this character is usually devised.

In order to hold the wrench in clamped engagement with the pipe, nut, or other ob- 'ect, I provide the handle 3 with a ivoted latch-bar 23, the outer or free end of which passes through an opening therefor in the pivoted lever 15 and is adapted to engage with a catchlate 24 mounted in said lever, the said latc1-bar having a series of teeth which engage the plate. This latch-bar is actuated to engage the catch-plate by means of a flat spring 25, which bears against the underside of the free end thereof, and the extreme outer end of the latch-bar projects beyond the outer side of the lever so that it may be engaged by a finger of the operator for the purpose of moving said latch-bar out of engagement with the catch-plate. The catch-plate is pivoted within the bifurcated portion of the pivoted lever 15, and at-one side is provided with an engaging shoulder 24 for the latch-bar and at the other side with a shoulder 24, which latter forms a stop that contacts with the wall 15 of the lever, and in this position, as shown in Fig. 2, the shoulder 24 is in operative position with respect to the latch-bar. It will be noted that when the catch-plate is turned until the shoulder 24 engages the wall 15 a curved surface will be resented to the teeth of the latch-bar, and t e latter will then freely pass back and forth over said curved surface without catching. This latter arrangement vof the catch-plate is desirable in such in- For convenience in turning the catchlate the same is provided with a pin 26 whic 1 extends through a curved slot 27 in the pivoted lever, (see Fig. 1). o

The convenience and usefulness of a wrench constructed in accordance with my invention will be readily appreciated, and it will be noted that the device in use can be handled more expeditiously and eflectively than the ordinary form of wrench of this tv e.

llaving described my invention, I claim:

1. In a wrench, the combination, of the main bar or shank having a fixed jaw at its upper end and a handle at its lower end, a jaw slidable on the bar or shank to and from the fixed jaw and having a threaded recess at its lower end, an adjusting-screw threaded in said recess and provided with a head at its lower end, and a lever pivoted to the main bar or shank and having at its upper end a bifurcated upper jaw and a lower aw which engage the upper and lower sides respectively of the head of the adjusting-screw, said lever having a handle at its lower end movable to and from the handle of the main bar 9 or shank, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a wrench, the combination, of the main bar or shank having a fixed jaw at its upper end and a handle at its lower end, a jaw slidable on the bar or shank to and from the fixed jaw and having a threaded recess in its lower end, an adjusting-screw threaded in said recess and provided with a head at its lower end, the latter having a recess in its underside, a lever pivoted to the main bar or shank and having at its upper end a bifurcated upper jaw and a solid lower jaw which engage the up or and lower sides respectively of the head 0 the adjusting screw, and a retaining screw threaded through the solid lower jaw of the pivoted lever with its end loosely engaging the recess in the head of the adjusting-screw, as herein shown and described.

3. In a wrench, the combination, of the main bar or shank having a fixed jaw at its upper end and a handle at its lower end, a jaw slidable on the bar or shank to and from the fixed j aw and having a threaded recess in its lower end, an adjusting-screw threaded in said recess and provided with a head at its lower end, a pivoted lever engaging at its upper end the head of the adjusting-screw and at its lower end formed with a handle movable to and from the handle of the main bar or shank, a spring for normally separating the handles, a toothed latch-bar carried by one of said handles, a rotatable block pivoted in the other handle and having a curved portion and opposite shoulders, one of which lat- In testimony whereof I have signed my ter serving as a catch-shoulder for the latch, name to this specification in the presence of and stops on said handle with which said two subscribing witnesses.

shoulders engage respectively to position said WILLIAM SCI-IMITT. 5 block with either the curved surface or catch- Witnesses:

shoulder opposed to the latch-bar, suhstan- EMIL R. DENHARD,

tially as shown and for the purpose set forth. URBAN S. ALE. 

